Hullo. So, funny story. This chapter ended up being another 10,000 word one. Yeah, I'm as surprised as you are. But, let me be clear. This is not becoming the norm. We're going back to like 4,000-6,000 word chapters after this. This chapter couldn't be broken up, because I really wanted the Garou vs Saitama fight to be one chapter. Anyways, I took inspiration from both the webcomic and the Manga versions of this fight, and of course added my own spin. I had a lot of fun writing this, and it's been one I've been waiting to write for a long time. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter Twenty Six: Narratives
The world seemed to stand still as hero and monster stared each other down. The water splashed in little waves over their feet, the remaining ripples from the deaths of Evil Natural Ocean and Sage Centipede.
Garou smirked, holding his arms outstretched. "I told you we'd see each other again. You like what I've done with the place?"
Saitama rolled his eyes. "Please. You're trying way too hard."
"Says you. That was you, wasn't it? You killed that ocean monster," Garou said. "I thought that it had been King, but it was you all along, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, I killed it, sue me. But you were fighting that big ass centipede, with Metal Bat, right?" Saitama asked. "Sure made a spectacle of that, didn't you?"
"Tch, of course I did. I needed everyone to witness how powerful I've become, how useless it is for them to resist," Garou said. "And Metal Bat barely even scratched the thing, don't say he helped me. He didn't even make good bait. Now that he and all of the other S Class are out of the way, I will unite this world under my tyrannical fist. Everyone will fear me."
"Oh spare me the theatrics. You didn't kill a single hero. But you do have an impressive track record for killing monsters. How exactly do you plan on ruling the world as a monster if you don't beat the heroes?" Saitama asked.
"Do you see any heroes left? Once I'm done here, I'm going to go down to the Hero Association and finish this once and for all," Garou said.
"Finish what? What is your plan again? World peace?" Saitama asked.
Garou scowled. "Everyone will cower in fear of me. How is that peaceful?"
"Cause, according to you, everyone will stop hating each other and just hate you instead," Saitama said.
"They won't have time to hate each other. This stupid society has fostered the ideal of heroism for far too long. The idea that some people are in the right, regardless of the people they hurt, just because they claim to be a hero. It's time to end that notion," Garou snarled.
"I really don't understand what your beef with the Hero Association is. Sure, it's not the most effective system in the world, but it works. Sure there are problems with it, but nothing is perfect," Saitama said.
"See, this is where our misunderstanding stems," Garou said. "You have a problem with heroism as a profession. I have a problem with heroism as a concept."
"Ok, admittedly, I am a little frustrated that the Hero Association encourages competition for rank, but that doesn't mean I want to pull it up by the roots," Saitama said.
"The fact that the Hero Association gives heroes a rank based on their popularity is exactly the shit I'm talking about. Heroism is inherently a popularity contest. Whoever's prettier, more charismatic or whatever is hailed as a hero, and anyone who disagrees is a monster. Right and wrong don't matter. A hero can never be wrong, because they're the good guy, saving the day, spreading goodness and joy and shit. Everyone loves them and will blindly soak up their mediocre hero play just because they're the hero. The monster will always be in the wrong. The monster can never be in the right, it doesn't matter what their intentions are. Because when you've been othered by society, it doesn't matter what you do. No one will care. No one will listen. So I'm going to remind the world that monsters are willing to fight too. I'm going to give you heroes one last punch from the losing side," Garou snarled.
Saitama tilted his head. "You don't expect to win, do you?"
"The fuck you talking about?" Garou snorted. "Course I'm gonna win. Who's left to stop me?"
"I am," Saitama answered.
Garou grinned. "Yeah, I know. You don't have to though. You could join me of course."
"Oh great, here comes the 'we're not so different, you and I speech'," Saitama groaned.
"Oh shut up. When I was at your apartment, you told me you thought I said heroism was corrupt. You're not wrong, but that's not what I said. I have a problem with the idea of a hero. You've got a problem with the Hero Association. I think we can both agree that things need a shakeup," Garou said.
"And you wanna do that by destroying the Hero Association?" Saitama asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Destroying the Hero Association is more symbolic than anything," Garou said, flapping his hand. "It's about the message."
"What message? Everyone get along or I'll beat you up?" Saitama asked.
"Exactly!" Garou cried, spreading his arms.
"And what will you do about the monsters then, huh? The Hero Association deals with dozens of threats everyday. You can't be everywhere," Saitama said.
"Where do monsters come from?" Garou asked. "Most of them were humans before something turned them into monsters. Ugmons, pollutants, costume monsters, every human that became a monster blames society for their transformation. I'm just the first monster to embrace it. But with me around, everyone will be so scared of me, they won't have time to hurt anyone else. Society stops making monsters, no more monsters for society to worry about! Except me of course."
Saitama exhaled, putting his face in his hands. "There is so much wrong with what you just said."
Garou rolled his eyes. "Please. I've thought this through. Last chance Saitama. I'm gonna make real change. I'm gonna be the monster that unites humanity."
"You won't like the world you make," Saitama warned.
Garou shrugged. "Oh well. Could've helped me make some real change. Still, I can't let you stop me. So…sorry."
With those words, Garou rushed at Saitama, landing half a dozen strikes on his body in a few milliseconds. A cloud of dust appeared between them.
"He was a weird guy," Garou muttered, presumably to himself. "Shame. He was the only person to hear me out. Still, he should heal up in a month or…"
Garou stared at Saitama, standing there unharmed as the dust settled.
"Yo," Saitama said, before punching Garou in the face. Garou was launched back a few hundred feet.
"Gah!" Garou gasped, lunging up from the debris. "The hell!?"
"Yeah, this conversation's not over yet," Saitama said, marching over.
Garou grinned, taking up a fighting stance. "Shoulda figured it wouldn't be that easy. Good hit, Saitama the Hero!"
Garou lunged at him, his fists flying in a hurry. Saitama ducked under them, skittering away. Garou chased after him, a furious grin on his face. Garou spun, kicking out at Saitama's face. Saitama ducked under it, only to be met with a fist on his chin. Saitama flipped backwards, landing on his feet, only to be struck in the back by Garou's kick. Saitama spun, intending to backhand Garou, but he was met with a foot to his skull. Saitama backtracked, but Garou was hot on his heels, throwing hundreds of punches a second. Their dangerous dance took them all over the already ruined city. Saitama avoided any heroes or strays hanging around, just in case the shocks of their fight might do any damage.
Saitama jumped back up onto some rocks that were falling from the sky. He didn't know why someone would put rocks in the air, that's obviously not where rocks went. But he wanted to see if he could throw Garou off his game.
Garou was pissed about something. Saitama figured he'd let him blow off some steam for a while, and when he was nice and ready to have a lil chat, they would talk. Garou followed him up into the sky, bounding off rock after rock. Saitama threw a punch at him, but Garou ducked, rolling under his attack to rise up with a powerful kick that Saitama plunging to the earth. Saitama got up, brushing himself off, when Garou landed on him, karate chopping his head. The force was so intense that electricity scattered through the air, arcing up from the ground.
Garou's attack caught him as he was standing, so his knees were bent. As Garou put the pressure on his skull, Saitama stood, shattering Garou's forearm like volcanic glass. He gasped, and staggered back a step, even as it started regenerating, air swirling around his new hand like a typhoon.
"Now, as I was saying–" Saitama started, but was interrupted when Garou punched him in the face. With an annoyed scowl, Saitama hit him in the face, sending him tumbling through the earth, carving out a trench through the battlefield. "Listen to me when I'm talking to you!"
"You're still holding back, Garou," Saitama called as he strode towards the so-called monster. "You keep telling me how you're gonna be absolute evil, whatever the fuck that means, but how are you going to do that when you're not trying? You lack conviction. And that's why you're going to fail. Your heart's not in the game. So it's game over." Saitama watched as Garou pulled himself out of the rubble, pushing over a piece of debris that fell on his arm. He was bigger now, his shoulders becoming real spiky, and the lines on his shell glowing orange. Man that was some intricate cosplay. "A real monster wouldn't hold back. A real monster would kill a hero the first chance it got. And yet, where are your trophies? I see no dead heroes. You haven't even tried. Beneath that monster shell, you're just a lil softie, aren't you?"
"Me?" Garou growled, ripping a shower curtain off him. "A softie?"
"Yeah," Saitama said, ducking his head out of the way as Garou sprinted behind him and tried to bash his brain out. Saitama grabbed his wrist and judo flipped him over his shoulder, into the dirt. His attack implanted Garou firmly into the ground. It only took him a second to hop back up from the hole. "I mean, why else go through all this trouble to have world peace, even if its a stupid idea of world peace?"
"Because no one else has the will to do it," Garou snarled, lunging at Saitama. Saitama took a few punches to the ribs before lashing at Garou. His punch was batted away, to his surprise, and Garou hit him another couple times. Saitama performed a rudimentary roundhouse kick at the martial artist, but Garou jumped over it, drop kicking him in the stomach with both heels. Saitama skidded back a dozen feet, his feet digging into the earth as Garou spun in the air to land on his feet.
"More like no one else was stupid enough to think it'd work," Saitama snarked, dodging a fist from Garou. Saitama hit him with a palm, sending him skipping away.
Garou rose steadily from the ground, his breathing becoming more focused and streamed. "Oi, hey, if you're having heart problems, we should probably stop. I don't want to overexert you."
"Now who's the softie?" Garou snorted. "This technique, 'Awakening's Breath,' is a skill to maximize usage of one's muscles, temporarily pushing one to the absolute limits of their power. Feel the power of my God Slayer Instant Attack!"
Garou appeared in front of Saitama landing thousands of hits on every part of his body. For a guy who was like, eight feet tall, he moved pretty quick. But then again, so did Boros. Saitama swiped at him, but Garou stepped back. Saitama moved to punch him, but he sidestepped, karate chopping him in the neck. Saitama kicked at him, but Garou twisted around it, using his motion to punch Saitama hard enough in the side of his face to actually lift him off the ground. Saitama went to hit him again, but he missed, and wound up with a fist in his face. Saitama frowned, punching at Garou. But just like before, his punch was evaded and he found a fist in his line of vision. That punch sent him skidding back a few feet.
"I don't know what you are," Garou said. "Or where you came from. And quite frankly, I don't care. The Hero Association can send their heroes, they can send as many men in capes or tights as they want, but they will all fall tonight. When was the last time you actually fought, Saitama? When was the last time you had to struggle, to claw your way to victory? When was the last time you had to put your life on the line for the greater good? I bet it's been a while, hasn't it? But for me, these last few weeks, that's all I've been doing. I've been going from one fight to the next, all just to get here. To be strong enough to do what needs to be done. You can't win against me. You're so used to your easy victories, your simple wins, that you've grown complacent. You have no idea how to fight. Me? That's all I know. You may be stronger than me. Hell, you're probably a lot stronger than me. And with your speed and reflexes, I'd never be able to dodge you in time. But you're so full of openings, so easy to read. Everything about your body language tells me exactly what I need to know. By observing your stance, point of view, movement patterns, your center of gravity, breathing rate and muscle tension, I can tell when and how you're going to hit. I'm already dodging before you've attacked. I've been fighting stronger foes than me since I could throw a punch. I know how to punch up. You're used to punching so far down, you mine as well be punching a flea. You're just another obstacle that I've learned to overcome. This fight's already over."
Saitama grinned. "Hm. I'm impressed. You know, I've been wondering recently, what the point of martial arts was. I never really got a good answer. Till now. So thanks Garou. But if you're gonna take me down, it's gonna take more than that."
Garou smiled savagely. "Oh I know. And believe me, I plan to deliver."
Garou rushed Saitama, and he aimed a punch at his head. Garou lashed out with wrist, his forearm brushing Saitama's own, deflecting his punch. That same hand turned into a karate chop, which was kind of impressive because his hand was bigger than Saitama's face. Garou followed up with a cross with his other fist, that same attack turning into a power elbow to his ribs. It lifted Saitama clear off his feet so Saitama grabbed Garou's forearm to avoid being thrown away. Garou put his ungrabbed arm through the hole where Saitama's arms were and twisted, slamming Saitama in the ground. He followed up with a furious combo, obliterating the ground beneath him. Saitama was punched deep into the earth so bad Garou was hitting rock more than he was him. So Saitama decided to tunnel out somewhere else. Luckily, he had a lot of practice swimming through earth recently.
Saitama popped up a few meters away from where Garou was punching. He chucked a boulder at Garou to get his attention, and Garou smashed it to pieces. Garou charged him again, and Saitama stepped forward to punch him. Garou's fist crossed over his, his forearm brushing his to evade collision. Garou's fist smashed into his stomach, sending him into the air. Garou was still on him, and his knee collided with his gut and as Saitama was launched away, Garou completed his kick, his foot snapping out to propel him further. Saitama collided with a building and tore it right off its foundation, slamming into another, and then a third, ripping them all from where they once lay. Not a moment later, something exploded into the building, a plume of flame ripping through the buildings, turning them all to scrap. Saitama brushed himself off, clearing the ash and dust from his uniform as the smoke started to settle.
"Where are you Saitama?" Garou said, his massive form stalking through the embers. "I know you're still alive in there."
"Yo! Over here!" Saitama called.
"There you are," Garou purred.
"Yep, just ah, gimme a sec. You almost lit me on fire, just gotta check and make sure you didn't burn anything important," Saitama replied.
"Take me seriously, goddamn it!" Garou roared.
Just then, there was movement in the rubble. A hatch opened up from the floor. "Yes! It opened! We're saved!"
Voices cheered as five people climbed out. Saitama approached the small group. "You guys alright?"
"Oh? A hero? We're staff members of the underground shelter. We were checking to see if there were any stragglers after the emergency evacuation and we got stuck. It was pitch black, and we didn't have any cell service. I thought we were gonna die down there!" One of the guys cried.
"Ah, guess all the rubble musta got blown away," Saitama said.
"I don't know how to thank you! We would've been trapped down there forever if you hadn't rescued us," another guy said.
"Oh that wasn't me. It was this guy, actually," Saitama said, pointing at Garou. The people paled considerably and one guy gave out a little shriek.
Then they all bowed at the waist. "Thank you! Thank you for saving us."
Garou didn't respond, too shocked at being thanked, so Saitama spoke up. "You guys should probably get away from here. Go find an evacuation squad or something."
"Yes sir! We'll evacuate as quick as we can!" one of the people said as they sprinted away.
Saitama chuckled. "Man absolute evil sure is good at saving people. Maybe I should give a whirl sometimes. Oh! That reminds me. The fuck you doing this to the old man for!? Don't you know he's worried sick about you!? Always grumbling about you and shit. When we're done here you're gonna have to apologize to him for all the shit you've done. Beating up heroes, wrecking dojos, illegal fight tournaments. You're gonna make him cry, you lil shit. Stop throwing temper tantrums and act like an adult for goodness sake."
"I'm gonna fucking kill you," Garou snarled, launching a volley of punches at Saitama. Saitama weaved around them all, using his superior speed to stay ahead of Garou. Garou still landed the odd punch or two, but instead of Saitama coming to him, he made Garou go on the offensive. Saitama jumped high into the sky, kicking off air to jump around in the sky. Garou tried to follow him, but he couldn't copy Saitama's technique. Even as Saitama thought this, the muscles on Garou's back rippled, until two enormous wings sprouted from Garou's shoulder plates. Garou roared, flying at Saitama with a volley of punches. Saitama dodged most of them, but a powerful left hook caught him in the gut. Saitama was sent flying into the side of a mountain. Garou flew at him, plunging both of his fists into him, with the weight of his entire body. The shockwave pushed through Saitama, sending the back half of the mountain flying off. Saitama looked at Garou as he panted. Plumes of fire rested on his shoulders and trailed down his spine. Saitama grunted, then clocked him in the face, sending Garou back into the sky. Saitama got up and looked down towards the bottom of the mountain, noticing tons of people milling about. He grinned.
"Ha. You got that whole schtick going on, where you're not even trying and things turn out the way they need to. Kinda like King. You must have great hero instincts," Saitama muttered to himself. "Alright, well, we still gotta end this. Let's see what else he's got."
Saitama jumped towards Garou, kicking off the air to climb to where Garou hovered. Garou roared, wings beating as he raced towards Saitama. Garou was punching at Saitama with increasing speed, but he was losing his technique. His anger was clouding his potential, and despite growing two more arms, he was only landing half as many punches. It was kind of sad, really. He had been something special before he started going all rampage, but now all he was doing was throwing random punches all over the place.
Not that Saitama could boast much better, but hey. That was his schtick. Garou had been better than this. And now he was losing himself. Probably should end this soon, eh?
The next volley of attacks Garou threw at him, Saitama swatted away with one hand. "Settle down now Garou. Stop it with this nonsense."
"I'll show you nonsense!" Garou screamed, pointing one set of arms behind himself and another facing towards Saitama.
"That doesn't even make sense," Saitama frowned. Garou screamed, an inferno erupting from the fists behind him, propelling him down into Saitama.
"Extreme Fa Jin!" Garou cried as they slammed into the top of a mountain. The mountain sunk around them as they dug into the earth, until the mountain became a crater. Garou pushed Saitama into the mantle, molten lava flowing around them. Saitama could feel the shockwaves traveling through him and into the earth. Knowing that this was going too far, Saitama decided to stop this.
"Consecutive Normal Punches," Saitama said, launching his own flurry of punches at Garou. He kept up his assault, kicking against the air until they had risen into the stratosphere. He ended his assault with a straight punch to Garou's face, launching him away. Garou was sent flying, shearing the tops off of two mountains before smashing into the earth, skipping across the surface of the water until he came to a halt. He laid there as Saitama landed in front of him.
"It's over Garou," Saitama called to his prone form. He advanced on the downed 'monster'. "This is how the story goes. This is what happens when you give up your humanity. You end up alone and defeated. So stop wasting your time. You've got a lot of shit to make up for, so why don't we call it for now, eh?"
"No," Garou snarled, slamming his fists into the earth. He started pushing himself to his feet, his eyes mad with rage. "I won't let you stop me. I'm this close to changing the world. I will sacrifice everything, everything to save this world. I'm a monster. I'm the monster. You can't stop me. You don't have the will! You don't have my sense of duty! You and your heroes, this world doesn't need you! Your biased principles and your corrupt morals! A hero lacks the drive of a monster! A hero doesn't have what it takes to sacrifice everything for their goals! Heroes are weak! The time of heroes is over! So you! Are going! TO DIE!"
Garou lunged at him, his right fists cocked back to hit him. Saitama stepped forward before he could throw his strikes and punched him in the face. Saitama cracked the shell around Garou, sending his human body flying up into the sky. As he flew, the shell around Garou started to deteriorate, flecks falling away from his form.
But even as Garou flew, something strange was happening in the sky. Oddly shaped clouding formed in the sky. They were perfectly circular, and flat at the bottom. Lightning arced from the clouds, striking the ground at random.
"What are those?" Saitama mumbled. He felt like there was something unnatural about them. He looked a little deeper into the clouds. "Are those…feet?"
They came to a stop far in the distance. Above those clouds, an even stranger cloud started to appear. They seemed to part in the middle, lasting only for a few seconds before dispersing into the winds, the sky suddenly cloudless and devoid of giant feet.
Saitama inhaled deeply, the air stilling around him. "The wind. Something's coming."
There was a small splash as something landed behind him. Saitama turned. "Garou? What the hell happened to you man?"
Garou's shell was smaller now, but more violent. He was the size of his human form, but his shoulder spikes were more accentuated, and his forearms were protected by smaller spikes jutting up jaggedly. His scarf thingy flowed in a phantom breeze, and his hair spikes were small, but harsh. They were different than his previous monster shell, they seemed tougher somehow.
But the biggest difference was the front of Garou's body. It was littered with galaxies and stars, twinkling across his form. As Saitama stared, he swore he could see them drifting.
Garou inhaled without a nose or mouth, rising to his full height. "Something that can counter the Fist That has turned against God," Garou mumbled to himself. "I suppose that would be The of God."
"And what happened to your voice? It all echoey and shit. Sounds like you're talking out of a bathroom," Saitama muttered.
"Laugh all you want. I have a new power, that even suprasses you. I hope you're ready, Saitama the Hero," Garou said. "Because I'm going to show you what a monster can do."
All Life Eradication Fist
"Nuclear Fission!" Garou said, lunging at Saitama. He was faster now, impossibly so. Where Garou had previously been moving in the milliseconds, he was now doing in nanoseconds.
A brightness filled Saitama's vision as an explosion rocked the world. A dozen more of these attacks slammed into Saitama, his world a vision of fire and light. When he could see the mushroom clouds rising over the setting sun, Saitama frowned. Were they too close to the rest of the heroes? Maybe he should try leading Garou farther away.
Then Saitama looked down at himself. "Ah! My clothes! What the hell man? Don't you know how long it's gonna take me to stitch this back up!?"
"Typical hero," Garou grumbled. "I stand before you as the most powerful being this world's ever seen, and you're worried about your outfit?"
"There you go again, spouting lines like a cartoon villain. You seriously don't think there's anything wrong with that?" Saitama asked.
"Fool! I feel like I can do anything now! In martial arts, the techniques that stem from the movements of animals in nature are called 'Shakkei'. I like to call them modes, cause that sounds cooler. But I've grown beyond the need to borrow power from the natural world. It's time I tap into the unnatural. For my first mode, I think I'll copy you," Garou said.
Mode: Saitama
A mirror image of Saitama's face appeared on Garou's head. Saitama cried out in surprise as Garou launched "Consecutive Normal Punches."
Saitama countered with his own "Consecutive Normal Punches." Their fists collided in perfect unison, the shockwaves for their strikes blowing away all the smoke around them. They ended their little bout as they punched each other in the face in the same way at the same time. They were launched away into the depths of the sea. Saitama plugged his nose as he swam back to the surface.
"HA! Is this the first time anyone's matched you in an exchange of blows? You seem at a loss for words. We may be evenly matched for now, but the techniques I copy are honed at blazing speed. Soon, I'll leave you in the dust," Garou snarled.
"Well shit. I was kinda hoping not to hurt you too bad, cause you're the old man's disciple and all that. But it seems like you're gonna need an extra hard thumping to get your head on straight," Saitama said.
"Here I stand on that same endless horizon of power you linger on, and you're concerned about the old man? Foolish. He too will learn the fruitlessness of heroism," Garou said.
A ball of energy started to form around Garou, the deep wellspring of power he was summoning distorting the gravity around him and whipping up gusts of wind swirling around him. Electrons were discharged at a rapid rate, lightning ripping through space.
All Life Eradication Fist: Gamma Ray Burst
"I don't know what that is, but it'd probably be bad if it hit the earth," Saitama muttered to himself, hopping on air to gain altitude.
"Fool! You can't evade this by jumping away! BURN!" Garou shouted, unleashing his power. The beam of concentrated energy collided with Saitama, rushing over him in a burst of heat and force. It slammed into Saitama and carried him away, far, far away from the field of battle.
Garou laughed as he watched Saitama disappear over the curvature of the earth. That would keep the baldy occupied for some time. He wasn't naive enough to think that would kill him, but by god it would hurt him. Enough for Garou to do what he had set out to do. He was going to kill every last hero there was, and rule this world, as he was meant. That was his Divine Right.
Garou landed on a pile of rubble above where the remaining heroes had congregated. He couldn't help but feel satisfaction from watching as they fell down in front of him in fear. They knew it was him. Disaster Level God. Absolute Evil.
Garou smiled underneath this armor. "Thank you. I finally can bring this world to it's knees, where it belongs."
"G-Garou? Is that you?" Bang crawled towards him, his injuries too much to allow him to stand.
"Old man. You're still breathing," Garou answered.
"What happened to you? Why do you look like that? I thought you had come back to your senses a bit, but now…why did you say thank you? Did a monster do this to you!?" Bang exclaimed.
"Hmph. Not exactly," Garou said. "I always had my senses. You taught me to feel the flow of energy, and how to become one with that flow. How to direct that river of power. I've become one with the flow, and I've succeeded in controlling it. Thanks to you, I managed to stave off being that thing's puppet. And that's why I want you to know, everything I do from here on out is of my own violation."
"Garou! What are you going to do!?" Bang cried as he strode towards the assembled heroes, who were all scrambling away from him, screaming and pleading.
"Time to conduct Evil," Garou said. Even as he approached the group of heroes, Child Emperor and some other random kid fell over, bleeding from their noses.
"No! Give back Garou!" Bang yelled, staggering to his feet.
"You going deaf in your old age? I just said, this is my choice," Garou snapped.
"That's where you'd be wrong," a new voice added, appearing in a flash of darkness. It was a kid, maybe sixteen years old, with startling blue eyes and pointed ears. He wore sunglasses and white armor and a cape.
"And who the fuck are you?" Garou asked.
"Who I am doesn't matter. What I know does. That entity you encountered did more than give you power. It seized control of your mind," the new person said. "Haven't you noticed? The power you received is not a gift. You're meant to be a weapon. You're emitting cosmic radiation that is unbearable to human life. I doubt your original intentions were to kill every living thing in sight."
"Ha! Well aren't you just full of shit. "Divine Power" ain't so bad. Just being around me means death. That only certifies my status as the Symbol of Fear this planet needs," Garou laughed.
"Don't be foolish Garou! Come down and speak rationally!" Bang yelled.
"Oh I've been talking rationally. You just never bothered to listen. I am the miserable future, Disaster Level God. I can't wait to see how humanity will survive under the absolute evil that is me," Garou smirked.
"No! Garou, this is a path you cannot go down!" Bang yelled, staggering forward.
"Stay back! The kind of radiation is enough to kill humans," the teen yelled.
"So what? Garou, if you truly intend to dominate the world, you'll have to kill me," Bang declared, standing tall even as blood dripped from his mouth. It caused Garou to hesitate. Then he clenched his fist. No. He had come too far to turn back now. For Tareo's sake, this is how it had to be. People were made miserable by him. What did it matter?
Kill the old man.
"Move!" a robotic voice cried. Garou almost flinched as the head and torso of a metal man collided with his gut.
Garou grabbed the offender by the hair. "Demon Cyborg?"
"Genos!" Bang yelled.
"Get away from him!" the teen yelled.
"How heroic," Garou mused. "So, that baldy was strong enough to have an S Class like you as an apprentice. That checks out. Still, it was stupid of you to attack me."
"Dimension cannon!" the teen yelled. Garou looked up as a sphere of black ripped towards him. It didn't look all that strong. Not compared to his power now. Maybe before he got this power it would've been a threat, but he had surpassed all heroes. Garou hopped up, not bothering to swat it away. But instead of staying in the sky, he ended up in front of the teen, who clocked him in the back of the head. "Gravity knuckle!"
The surprising amount of force made Garou lose his grip on the Demon Cyborg and knocked him into another portal. He appeared in front of the teen again, and he was subjected to a series of fists that knocked him through consequential portals. Garou's senses were confused by his lack of grip with reality, and slowly, the portal closed on him, trapping him in a new reality. It was dark here, but Garou didn't care. He smiled. That fool. As soon as Garou found his bearings, he summoned the power he had seen that kid use. In a blink, a portal appeared above him, and Garou stepped back into the third dimension, much to the shock of the teen.
"Well I'll be damned. I didn't think much of you, but this will be a helpful ability. Thanks kid," Garou grinned, his fists lighting up with the Gravity Knuckle ability and the Nuclear Fission Fist. With a two-handed combo, Garou launched a vicious assault at the kid. With a shout, the kid opened dozens of portals that his fists passed through. Garou's attacks exploded in the sky above them, the world lighting up in a blaze of fire and death. The portals collapsed, backfiring and sending Garou skidding back a few feet. The kid was knocked off his feet, tumbling back into the dirt. Garou rose to his full height.
"Thanks for the power kid. But I'll take it from here," Garou said to his body. That baldy had still been holding back. If Garou could draw him out and refine his power, he could beat him.
"Garou! You need to give up that power for your own well being!" the kid yelled, as he started to stand. "Do you have any idea what cosmic radiation is? It is the result of atomic decay, spitting high energy particles out from the nucleus of an atom. Do you think it's a coincidence the first ability you learned was nuclear fission? Your body is being systematically broken at the atomic level to give off energy. This power boost is only temporary. It will leave you a husk, discarded after your purpose has been completed."
"You think you can spout off a bunch of science mumbo jumbo and expect me to believe you?" Garou scoffed. "I've seen through your lives. I've surpassed you all. And now, I'll become the most powerful being this world's ever seen."
Garou lifted the Demon Cyborg up by his hair and plunged his fist into his metallic chest.
Saitama stopped a few feet from Garou. Black rain fell on him, dripping down the side of his skull. He felt it in his suit, slithering into his suit and wetting his skin.
"Aren't you a bit late, Saitama the Hero?" Garou mocked.
"Hey! This guy's dangerous! Stay back!" Blue yelled.
"Here you go," Garou said, tossing something at Saitama. Automatically, Saitama caught it in his left hand. Saitama brought it towards his face. It was a ball of metal with a wire sticking from it, electricity sparking sadly. Inscribed on the ball were the words CORE.
"Genos," Saitama mumbled. He looked up, seeing the prone form of his disciple lying discarded on the ground. His face had been ripped off, leaving his cracked titanium skull exposed to the acidic rain. Oil pooled around his body like blood. The hole where Genos's core had been torn from his body was savage. Scraps of metal bent outward, his wires shredded.
No light emanated from his eyes.
Saitama looked around the battlefield at the corpses littered there. King. Bang. Mumen Rider. Flashy Flash. "Tats…"
Unbidden, a memory flashed before his eyes. It was the time Genos had first introduced himself to him. "It's amazing how you always manage to be there on time. I guess that's a hero for you."
His eyes were alight with awe, his synthetic lips thinned with determination. The kid moved with purpose, intent on destroying those who attacked a man the kid only met yesterday.
Saitama had replied with a nonchalant, "Nah. I usually arrive too late."
Those words seemed to haunt him now. If he had been quicker. If he had taken Garou down when he had the chance.
Maybe they'd still be alive.
Do I really have a hero's intuition? Sure doesn't seem like it…
Saitama glared at Garou, clenching the fist that didn't have Genos's core in it. "Killer Move: Serious Series. Serious Punch."
Saitama was on Garou before the next ray of light hit his head. But Garou was able to react,
Mode: Saitama. Serious Punch.
Saitama felt some kind of energy beneath his feet, and this time, he let the power carry him away. Saitama's fist collided with Garou's somewhere above the earth. Foreign powers reached out to guide his power, and for whatever reason, Saitama let them. Then everything disappeared and Saitama was flung into the depths of space.
Saitama wouldn't have noticed he'd stopped if it wasn't for the taste of rock in his mouth. Saitama spit out whatever was in his mouth and clambered to his feet. Saitama climbed onto the next hill, spotting Garou rising out of a trench below him.
"Where are we?" Saitama wondered, looking around. They sure as hell weren't on earth. "Hmph. I'm getting a feeling of deja vu here."
Earth's moon felt like this. But that planet behind him was definitely not earth. Looked more like Jupiter.
"Oh well. At least I can let loose out here. For your sake, I hope you can take it," Saitama said, focusing back on Garou. Whatever power Garou had gotten, it had allowed him to survive a serious punch. Saitama hoped that meant he could handle him going a bit further. I may have finally gotten that fight I was looking for. Why then…am I not excited at all?
Saitama tried to fit Genos's core in his costume, but with all the holes, it would probably just fall out. Best to hold on to it then. He'd keep a tight grip.
"Hey baldy. Looks like we're on one of Jupiter's moons. No idea how this happened, but we gotta figure out some kind of way back. I think–" Garou started, but Saitama cut him off.
"Shut up. That can come after I beat the shit out of you. Bring it. One hand is all I need to beat you," Saitama declared.
"Hmph," Garou grunted, pointing at Saitama, a portal appearing below the hero. "Later then, lol."
Saitama kicked the portal at Garou's face. It splatted against him, blinding him for a moment.
But a moment was all Saitama needed. Saitama was on Garou like a meteor, punching him out of the moon's orbit. Garou opened a portal next to Saitama, but Saitama grabbed it and pointed it upwards. With Garou next to him, Saitama punched him in the chin, sending him crashing into the moon's surface, digging out another trench.
"Is that what you call martial arts? Weak. Forget your pathetic tricks and come at me with your fists. Fight me like a man, Garou!" Saitama snapped.
"Tricks?" Garou snarled. "I've absorbed the styles and techniques of countless schools. Using all of these in perfect harmony…that is my fist!"
Garou launched into the sky, disappearing into a portal. Garou exited the portal only to disappear into the next one. He opened and closed millions of portals a second, teleporting around the surface of the moon. Saitama snorted. If this was supposed to intimidate or confuse him, Garou was failing miserably.
Garou appeared in front of Saitama, tearing into his body with the "Roaring Aura Sky Ripping Fist!" Saitama lashed out with his fist, only for Garou to deflect it with "Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist!" and landing a powerful blow with "Exploding Heart Release Fist!" As Saitama flew away, Garou assaulted him with "Whirlwind Iron Cutting Fist!", tearing the rest of his uniform to shreds. Finally, Garou charged at him, his hands alight with the power of his "Nuclear Fission Fist!" and his "Gravity Knuckle!"
An explosion lit the surface of Jupiter's moon, tearing up part of the moon's surface. But the ash and dust swirled around the gravity, pulled towards the seething mass.
"My technique is flawless. With my abilities, I can let loose a barrage of ever changing attacks from all directions. With my fists, timing is irrelevant. They are completely unavoidable," Garou announced to the clouds of dust floating around the weak atmosphere.
"Please. Even I can do that," Saitama replied. Saitama stuck his fingers into the ground, and pulled. A wall of earth erupted from where Saitama had lifted. The surface of the moon was torn from its comfortable bed of gravity, flung from the feeble gravity of this orb of rock. The crust of the moon was shattered, ripped from where it sat and flung into space. Garou's cries of alarm were lost in the roar of the moon as its skin was peeled away. Saitama pursued the monster, jumping from rock to rock faster than Garou could think. "Killer Move: Serious Series. Omni-Directional Serious Punch."
Saitama followed Garou as he tried to flee through one of his portals, punching him away. Garou bounced off of the rocks he collided with, ricocheting through the corpse of Jupiter's moon. Saitama bounded after him, jumping through the tidal wave of rock to bash into Garou, changing the direction of his perpetual fall. He followed Garou as he was tossed around the moon, traveling faster than lightning.
Finally, Garou seemed to get a grip, swinging his arms defensively. He lunged through a portal, only to dive headfirst into whatever remained of the surface of the moon. Saitama landed next to him as he pulled himself from the dirt and punched him in the face. Blood spit from Garou's mouth as his shell cracked. As Saitama wound up for a second punch, Garou did the same. They clocked each other in the face at the same time, sending shockwaves through the moon. The two combatants were launched away from each other, but they recovered instantly. Garou launched a punch, creating a portal in front of Saitama's face for his fist. Saitama ducked, Garou's fist sailing over him harmlessly. Instantaneously, Saitama whirled up and threw his own fist through the portal, decking Garou in the face. Garou was sent head over heels into another portal, appearing behind Saitama. He tried to kick down at Saitama, but his kick was interrupted when Saitama punched him in the gut. Garou allowed the momentum to carry him through another portal. Saitama jumped, avoiding the swipe and landed on a rock floating above them. Saitama launched himself off of it, striking the top of Garou's head with a karate chop. Garou was toppled, his face slamming into the surface of the moon. The force of Saitama's blow blew all of the debris around away.
"You bastard. You're copying my moves on purpose!" Garou cried.
"You said you were gonna copy me when I'm serious and surpass me. Go ahead and try. What was that about a hero's drive?" Saitama asked.
Garou snarled, executing a perfect roundhouse kick at Saitama. Saitama jumped over it, drop kicking Garou in the chest with his heels. Garou was sent careening into the field of debris, disappearing into the rubble.
Saitama frowned, gently placing Genos's core on the ground beside him. Saitama picked up a large rock and held it in both hands. "I saw this on a documentary once. I may not be all that good with math, but I think the theory's pretty simple. If enough matter is forced into a small enough space," Saitama said, squeezing the rock until he cupped it beneath his fingers. "You end up with a gravity well."
Saitama unfurled his fingers, revealing the void of reality folding in on itself. Saitama squinted at where Garou was, pulling his head out of a rock. Saitama pulled his arm back, and like he was throwing a shot put, Saitama hurled the black hole at Garou.
The abyss hurtled towards Garou, shredding time and space as it moved. Garou didn't have time to blink before he was engulfed by the cosmic vortex. The gravity inside a solar mass black is approximately 1.6 trillion times the gravity on earth. How much gravity did a handheld black hole boast? Not nearly as much, but still millions more than anything any living creature could imagine surviving, even the mightiest ESPers who could increase gravity by the thousands.
As Garou tumbled around in the gravitational sinkhole, space distorted to such an extreme degree that Garou could fit inside a spot that Saitama could hold in the palm of his hand.
But Saitama was not content to let Garou whirl around in his own personal abyss.
Saitama punched Garou, sending him streaking out from the event horizon. Garou slammed into a scattered piece of rock and bounced off. Saitama didn't let up, hurtling after him and grabbing him by the throat.
"What–What the fuck was that!?" Garou cried as Saitama bashed his face from rock to rock. "What the fuck did you do to me!?"
Saitama ignored him, burying Garou's head in the surface of the moon. He couldn't punch him while grabbing his throat, since Genos's core was back in his other hand.
Garou whirled from his position in the ground, kicking Saitama in the chin and grabbing his head. Garou flipped himself onto his feet and threw Saitama to the ground. Garou went to punch Saitama, but Saitama twisted, kicking Garou off his feet and pushing himself into the atmosphere, landing on a rock in the sky. Garou spit and teleported behind him. Saitama punched at him, but Garou deflected and sent Saitama flying back to the earth. Garou launched himself off the rock, rocketing towards Saitama. Saitama caught his fist as Garou flew at him, halting him dead in the air.
"Killer Moves: Serious Series. Serious Headbutt."
Saitama frowned as he watched Garou disappear into the dead of space. He had hoped to keep this fight contained to this little moon. Looks like this would be a stellar fight.
Saitama ripped a hole in reality and walked into the space between dimensions. He repaired the rift behind them, then opened a new rift where Garou was. It was bright where he exited, and warm too. Saitama looked down. He was standing on fire. Saitama frowned. This physics of that didn't entirely make sense. Saitama just shrugged. He had better things to do than debate the viability of standing on the surface of the sun. Namely, kicking the shit out of Garou. Where was the fucker anyways?
A karate chop struck the base of Saitama's neck. Ah. found him.
"Really? Fighting me on the sun? Doesn't this seem a bit cliche?" Garou said. He grinned, but he was missing a shoulder spike and part of his hair. He seemed weaker than he had been on Jupiter's moon.
"Shut up. I'm not through with you yet," Saitama growled.
Garou snarled, and the two rushed at each other. Their fists collided, and plumes of fire erupting from around them. Garou swiped at Saitama, but Saitama blocked it on his arm. He lashed out with his fist, catching Garou in the face. Garou flew back, skipping across the surface of the sun. He rose, flames dripping off the contours of his shell. Garou dug his hands into the sun, scooping out balls of flaming gas. He hurled the fireballs at Saitama. Saitama wove around them, appearing behind Garou in a flash. Saitama tripped Garou and grabbed the back of his head, slamming him into the surface of the sun. Then Saitama lifted him from the ground(?) and chucked him away.
Or at least, he tried. As his fingers left Garou's throat, Garou's legs wrapped around Saitama's head. Saitama was flipped, slamming into the fire that was their battlefield. Garou pounded his fists into his chest, like he was trying to bury Saitama in the sun. That's cute.
Saitama punched him in the chest, sending him out into space. Saitama frowned. He hadn't meant to hit him away from the sun. Fighting him in space seemed tedious. But, he couldn't let Garou teleport away. So, Saitama bent down, and put his hands in the gasses of the sun.
"Killer Move: Serious Series. Solar Flare."
Saitama sent a massive plume of fire hurtling away from the sun. The wave of fire slammed into Garou, sending him careening into space, towards a speck in the distance. How convenient, he was headed towards earth. At least that ball of rock the solar flare slammed into wasn't earth then.
Saitama ignored the flames licking at his face and tore into the space between dimensions and exited out on the ground of earth. He looked around. Hey, he was in the battlefield of Z City. How ironic. So where was Garou?
A screaming body slamming into the earth a few feet from him answered his question.
Garou groaned, pulling himself up from the earth. Saitama bent down next to him. "Hey buddy. You done yet?"
"Gah! How the fuck–what the fuck baldy! Why–why can't I beat you?" Garou cried.
"Because despite all your power, despite everything you stand for, everything you claim, your heart's not in the game. You want to lose," Saitama said.
"Fuck you baldy," Garou spat, climbing to his feet.
"Enough of that. You're done. It's over," Saitama declared. Garou's shell was cracked and battered. The stars that had burned so brightly at the beginning of their bout had all but faded. Red blood was starting to drip from under the shell.
"It's not over until I say it's over," Garou snarled. Garou wound up and punched Saitama. Saitama merely raised his hand, allowing Garou's fist to slam into his open palm. Up to his forearm, the shell around Garou shattered and fell away. "Gah!"
Garou staggered back, falling to his knees. He heaved, exhaling in deep breaths. "I was gonna change the world. I was gonna save them."
"Do you really believe that? Look around you!" Saitama shouted. The corpses of dozens of heroes lie around them. "Is this what you envisioned your glorious future to be? You didn't save anyone! They're all dead because of you! Who are you doing this for then!? Who are you fighting for!?"
"Me," Garou breathed. "I'm fighting for me."
Saitama exhaled, releasing the tension in his shoulders. "There it is. The truth comes out."
The wind settled over the empty battlefield. Garou shuddered under the frigid chill, the moon casting it's eerie glow over the rubble of City Z.
"Are you satisfied Garou? Have you found what you're looking for? Did all that hurt, all that pain go away when you finally won?" Saitama asked.
"No," Garou answered, staring at the lifeless eyes of a white haired man. "All I feel is empty."
Saitama didn't respond to that. He wasn't sure if he could.
"But I think you can fix it," Garou said.
"Listen buddy, you seem like a decent fellow but I don't swing that way–"
"What? No! I think I can send you back in time, you jackass!" Garou yelled.
"Oh. Oh! Cool. Do that then," Saitama encouraged.
"Alright. But I don't think I can do it myself. So you're gonna have to help me out here," Garou said.
"Alright, alright! Let's do this then," Saitama said.
"Okay. Watch closely. If anyone can master the powers of God without taking God's hand, it'd be you," Garou said.
"God?" Saitama asked.
"Yeah. That's where these powers come from," Garou explained.
"Ah. When we're done here, I'm gonna have a chat with someone then," Saitama said.
"Focus!" Garou yelled.
Saitama concentrated, imagining his own inner universe. He felt the subatomic particles inside him move in opposite directions, each particle copying their neighbor. As all of his particles reversed trajectory, he felt himself slipping away from reality. "W-woah!"
"We're doing it! HAHA! It worked!" Garou cried.
"Damn Garou! Your martial arts is cool as fuck!" Saitama exclaimed.
"Alright. We're here. All you have to do is punch me before I kill them," Garou said.
"So, just like this?" Saitama asked. Saitama exited the timestream as Garou raised his head.
"Thank–"
WHAM
Saitama's fist collided with Garou's face. "GAHHHHHH!" Garou screamed, purple smog erupting from his cracked face. Light beamed from the cracks as they fell around Garou. Saitama would've stayed to watch the fireworks, but some force picked him from the earth and sent him flying away. All of a sudden he collided with…himself? They crashed into one another, merging into one. It felt really weird. But hey, he had his suit back! And Genos's core! Hopefully that didn't mean Genos didn't have it. Oh god anyone but god, he hoped Genos was alive.
"Sensei!" Something struck Saitama in the gut. Surprised, Saitama fell over.
"Genos! You're alive!" Saitama cried, lifting the robotic torso in his hands.
"Master! What happened? You appeared to punch Garou, then flew away! Is that my core in your hand? What happened to you?" Genos asked.
Saitama laughed. "It's a long story. I'll tell you later. But first, there are some things I've got to take care of."
Saitama walked towards where he had left Garou. He was being kicked by a bunch of weird looking heroes.
"Oi! That's enough everyone! At this point, all you're doing is beating a dead horse!" Metal Bat yelled.
"He's the one that beat us all up! Whose side are you on anyways!?" some rando yelled.
"There will be no discussion," Amai Mask announced. "This monster has renounced his humanity. There can be no mercy for beings like him."
"Sensei, you are the only one who has the right to decide what happens to Garou," Genos weighed in from his place under Saitama's arm.
"What's there to decide? He's human," Saitama said. "Besides, the guys beating him aren't exactly doing anything. More like he's letting them get their anger out on him."
Just then, someone cut their way through the wade of heroes beating up Garou. It was Zombieman. "Hey. Garou. That form you took a few minutes ago. No way a human could gain that much power from simple monsterification. Was there any outside sources that amplified your abilities? For instance, God? One of the other monster cadres mentioned something about God."
"Hm. So, it seems this God fellow is more of a threat than we had realized," Flashy Flash muttered to himself.
"Oi. Zombieman," Saitama said, cutting towards Garou and Zombieman. "I'll tell you the whole deal later."
Zombieman raised his eyebrow at him, but Saitama ignored him. "Sup Garou. How you feeling?"
"Like shit. I almost wish you left me in that black hole," he muttered.
"The fuck did he say?" someone asked.
"So, what are you going to do now?" Saitama asked.
Garou sighed. "I'm going to apologize to the old man."
"Good. But call him Bang. Respect the elderly," Saitama said. "And what are you going to do after that?"
"Do some community service or some shit," Garou muttered.
"Good. And after that?" Saitama asked.
"...I don't know," Garou admitted.
"Here's a suggestion. Why don't you give being a hero a try," Saitama suggested.
Garou scoffed. "You've got to be kidding me."
"Garou, think about it. This whole time, you've been fighting to get back at the evil people who you see as detrimental to society. You tried so hard to be a monster, but even at your worst, it was all superficial. Because at your core, you're the kind of guy that will defend a kid society's abandoned because it's the right thing to do. What you really want to do is save the people like you and Tareo. The people that society othered because they don't fit the standard. You're right. There is a problem with society. But you can't fix it as a monster. This world needs more heroes like you. So when you're good and ready, it's time for you to step up and fight for them," Saitama said. "And if you need my help, you'll know where to find me."
Garou smirked. "You know what? You're not half bad, Saitama the Hero."
"I try," Saitama grinned back.
"That's it?" Someone cried. "After everything he's done, that's all you're gonna do!? Who gave you the right anyways! Get out of here and let the real heroes do their job!"
"I agree, Saitama. This man has cast away his humanity and joined with the monsters. His life is forfeit," Amai Mask said, approaching the two.
"Does he look like a monster to you," Saitama asked.
"Yes!" Someone yelled. "Ow! Who hit me!?"
"But we have to kill him," a small voice added.
Saitama turned, his face instantly brightening. "Tats! You're awake."
"We have to kill him, Saitama. He's a monster," Tatsumaki said.
"No. He's not. Misguided, sure. Made a mistake, one that he's going to pay for, sure. But a monster he is not," Saitama said.
"We're heroes, Saitama. It's our job to kill monsters. That's what we do," Tatsumaki said.
"No. Heroes save people," Saitama replied. "And anyone who got a problem with that is gonna have to go through me."
No one stepped forward. Saitama breathed a sigh of relief. "Alrighty then. I believe that settles it. Now, it's been a long day, and I need to drop Genos off at Doctor Kuseno's and dig my house out of the rubble around here somewhere. So presuming no one has anything else..? Good. And Garou?" Saitama turned, giving the Hero Hunter a small smile. "Rewrite the story."
Garou just gave Saitama a small smile and disappeared, jumping high into the sky. There were some exclamations but nothing Saitama bothered listening to.
"How do you keep getting yourself into situations like this, Genos?" Saitama asked the cyborg.
"Because I choose to keep fighting," Genos replied.
A soft smile appeared on Saitama's face. "Never change, Genos. Never change."
